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Hay Harvest at Éragny, 1901

In 1884, Pissarro and his family moved from his home near Pontoise to Éragny on the River Epte, near Gisors. This was to be his principal place of residence until his death in 1903 and an ideal setting for his paintings of rural labour and the harvest. Pissarro's careful arrangement of figures into repeated poses creates a balanced rhythm of line and form across the canvas.

[1] Julie Pissarro, who inherited her late husband's art work, had difficulies parting with this picture. Her son Lucien cites his mother: “Do not think it is a pleasure for me to see my pictures being sold. It is a mourning, a second funeral. One there is I do not want to sell, “The Harvest Women”, because I posed for them.” [Meadmore, William Sutton. “Lucien Pissarro, un coeur simple.” London: Constable, 1962, p. 169]. In 1914, Hay Harvest at Éragny was included in a sales exhibition at Manzi & Joyant, Paris [“Retrospectiev des Oevres de Camille Pissarro.” Galerie Manzi & Joyant, Paris, Jan – Feb. 1914, no. 57], in 1920, at Leicester Galleries, London [“Pissarro.” Leicester Galleries, London, no. 96], in 1921 at Nunes & Fiquet, Paris ["Collection Mme Pissarro." Nunes & Fiquet”, May 20 – June 20, 1921, no. 10]. The panting was also part of an exhibition at Durand–Ruel in 1928 [“Tableaux par Camille Pissarro” Durand – Ruel, Paris, Feb. 27 – Mar. 10, 1928, no. 97]. The catalogue, however, does not give any information about the lender.

[2] The stock book of Dutch art dealer E.J. Van Wisselingh & Co. notes that the painting belonged to the Marquis de Rochecouste until 1929 and was sold to G. C. Edwards of Ottawa the same year [Van Wisselingh Archive, stock number S 5211, Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Dokumentatie, The Hague, The Netherlands].

[3] See note [2].

[4] See note [2].

[5] Accession Log [NGC curatorial file]. Edwards decided to sell Hay Harvest at Éragny in 1945. The painting was shipped together with 24 other works from his collection to Grand Central Galleries, New York City, N.Y., USA, on March 6, 1945, to be offered for sale, along with five other works from the Edwards collection. The National Gallery purchased all six painting in March 1946.